www.hillmanweb.com/xmas

Merry Christmas 2019 – From the Hillman Family


 A good lesson learned this year:
“Living mindfully each day” can open a path to the best possible long-term outcome in every situation.
2019 was a year full of adventures and a couple of misadventures. 
The world has finally righted itself on its axis, 
and there will be smooth orbiting around the sun once again in 2020.
 And so, we wish you and your family a safe transition to 2020, 
Merry Christmas, and a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Ja-On and Angela’s family is busy, growing up and onto adventures of their own.      *** Ja-On’s Reactive Massage Therapy and Modere business continues to help many clients in the city and surrounding communities stay healthy and mobile. He is the only licensed Osteopathic therapist in the city.  Modere has taken Ja on several business trips to the USA. The family were quite envious of the side trip to Disney World’s Star Wars attraction! 

     *** Angela has completed all her studies to qualify as a Registered Massage Therapist. She has joined Ja-On at his practice. It was great that Ja and Ang were able to enjoy “them time” on a little vacation in Costa Rica in November.
Both Ja and Angela are kept hopping with activities for their two little princesses.

     *** Inara, who is 7, is in grade 2! Where did the time go? This little “ginger gal” is in jazz dance and Taikwondo. She already has her yellow belt, so if she continues, Dad won’t have to worry about defending her against bullies. Inara has quite the artistic flair, not only in drawing, but also with music. It’s quite satisfying to listen to her performances on the drums or singing with microphone in hand.

     *** Tayla – The Energizer Bunny is in kindergarten. This little imp is never still, so it’s a good thing Mom and Dad got a mini gym in their basement. Tayla is in gymnastics and Capoeira (Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, and music) which works well with her gymnastic skills. She is a little dynamo on Gramma’s drum kit!
     Both girls enjoy cooking with Mom and Dad, and we get to do crafts and jammin’ in the music studio at “the big house”.

     *** Grandson Soulin has really left the nest. Last year, he moved into his own apartment and worked with a security company as well as Theft Prevention officer in a box store. This fall, he finally decided on following in his Dad’s career path and enrolled at Wellington Massage Therapy College in Winnipeg. He was also working part-time as Theft Prevention officer at a large Walmart store. At work one afternoon, he was assaulted by three shoplifters, one of whom swung a bag with heavy stolen items at him and broke two bones in his jaw. He was rushed to ER, and after 4 weeks of having his jaw wired shut, he finally is on the road to recovery. Thanksgiving dinner was not a happy meal for him – pureed supper, even the cherry pie and ice cream, via a huge syringe.

     *** Robin continues to work with Tactica Interactive, leading teams of software developers and designers in building mobile apps and websites covering topics including health, non-profits, agriculture, mental health, education, and climate change.  Robin's interest in motorcycles continues to keep him busy in his free time. He has a 1970 Honda CB100 that he's been working on for a few years, and this year was able to get it registered for insurance with an "antique" plate, and actually get it on the road.  This summer he took the motorcycle safety course and got his motorcycle license. This fall, Robin rode his Honda in the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, to raise funds and awareness on men’s mental health and prostate cancer on behalf of the Movember Foundation.

     *** Jen continues to enjoy her work with special needs children at Bernie Wolfe School. She enjoys creating new sewing projects for the family.  She has also become quite adventurous, cooking for the various needs of her little family. A couple weeks after Robin took his mortorcycle course and got his license,  Jen caught the bug too, took the course, and also got her license.

     *** Teenager Oriyen is in grade 9 at Miles Macdonell Collegiate in French immersion. Oriyen has always had an artistic flair, so she is enjoying drafting and art class. We are pleased to see her still interested in air cadets and started doing shooting range (air rifles). Oriyen went on a school trip to Quebec during school break, and went to New Brunswick with her other grandparents in the summer. 

     *** River, our other Energizer Bunny, is in grade 1 in French immersion and doing really well. She is an avid little reader, has an amazing memory, and is interested in science and space.  Extracurricular activities include swimming lessons and girl guides. River also enjoys drawing, loves helping Jen bake, and building with Lego. 

     *** China-Li continues her work as Doctor of Thoracic and General Radiology in Winnipeg at Health Sciences Centre, Victoria Hospital, Seven Oaks Hospital, and Steinbach Hospital. She also does presentations in her field to medical students and new residents.

     *** Fiance Scott Pettitt finished his courses and is now an Advanced Care Paramedic Practitioner with an even broader scope of practice. He works for the City of Winnipeg.

     Both China and Scott work long hours in a common field, but it’s good that they can arrange to have free time together. They got engaged in January. They are well settled in their heritage home, and we are looking forward to celebrating family Christmas there again. Wedding plans are on hold until house renovations are finished up.

     *** Bill and Sue-On had another phenomenal trip in the spring. The 6-week-trip in March and April began with a week-long visit at our friends Kerry and Shadedah Morris’s  home in Malaysia. Then, it was onto many main and smaller islands in Indonesia over 29 days. We saw amazing sights, walked among the temples, mosques, historic buildings, trekked thru’ jungles looking for orangutans, tigers and rhinos, climbed volcanoes, and relaxed at beautiful resorts such as Bali and Gili Island. Bill is still processing the thousands of photos that we both took! www.hillmanweb.com/book/travel

     In June, we drove to Willcox, Arizona for one of the annual Edgar Rice Burroughs gatherings, the Dum-Dum. It was an area that we have never visited. We had a great visit with many of the regular attendees from all over North America and we made some new friends. We were immersed in the local Old West history and area’s tales of the wild west: gunslingers, Billy the Kid, the Earps, Marty Robbins and Rex Allen museums and Burroughs’ US Cavalry adventures at old Fort Grant where he spent time chasing renegade Apaches, etc. This was our first trip in our newly acquired Honda Civic Sport Coupe. It was a lovely drive and problem-free, other than not knowing how to change the speedometer from kilometers to miles. Our little cheat sheet saved Sue-On from getting a speeding ticket!

     *** Bill continues with his daily epic daily on his mega website empire. His Website and weekly ERB Webzines have surpassed 15,000 Webpages in number. Much of his writing is devoted to recalling our 50 years in music, family histories, military tributes, volunteer work for local museums, etc. Most nights, he gets to bed around 4 or 5 am. 
     Now that Sue-On is retired, there have been a few occasions that we get to bed at the same time! Nice to know I don’t HAVE to get up to go to work.

     Some ERB friends (Doug and Jean Denby from Toronto, Den Valdron from Winnipeg) stopped in again this year. It was great to visit and talk about a common interest – Edgar Rice Burroughs and collecting hobbies. We had the pleasure of meeting cousins Bob and Carolyn Boynton from Belmont, California, for the very first time. It was a great visit with the folks who were on a cross Canada trek en route to Florida with their motor home. Joining us for an evening of sharing family history were cousins Laurence and Christine Bertram.

     Sue-On enjoyed a great summer of gardening, trying new plants and digging another new flower bed. Cooking and experimenting with various cuisines kept us well fed. However, my activities took a bit of a nose dive in November with takotsubo cardiomyopathy (intense emotional or physical stress that can cause rapid and severe heart muscle weakness ).  Luckily, I recognized the “heart attack” symptoms from my first experience in 2010, and Bill took me to ER.  I was hospitalized for 10 days, followed by an angiogram in Winnipeg. I was fortunate that the tests showed no damage or blockage. I took this as a warning to take a slower pace in daily life. After all, I am retired and nothing HAS to be done all in one day!

~ Sue-On

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL
BILL and SUE-ON

Many more of our tall tales are spread across our main Website:
www.hillmanweb.com  ::  www.hillmanweb.com/book
www.hillmanweb.com/soos ::  www.hillmanweb.com/xmas

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